Gypsy
by FirebirdXoX
Summary: She never stays in one place for too long- always just passing through, always in motion, always searching for something she never really expects to find.


**-:-Gypsy-:-**

**_a contest entry_**

She likes to begin her story with once upon a time, because that makes her feel a little less like a monster and a little more like a creature that could be loved.

But that's a lie and she knows it. Her life isn't really worthy of a fairytale beginning, because that indicates a fairytale ending. And she'll never get that happily ever after, let's be realistic here.

When the moon is high and the world is asleep, she creeps from the shadows. She tells herself it's because she's nocturnal, a creature of the night. But deep down she knows that's a lie, too. She actually loves basking in the sunlight, warming her dark purple fur and relaxing in the golden rays streaming down from the sky. She doesn't dare venture out during the day anymore though, because the forest Pokémon catch her scent, wrinkle up their noses, and mutter curses under their breath while they shuffle away. And nothing makes you feel more self-aware than when everyone gives you a wide berth, wishing you would move along and bother someone else for a change.

The thing is, she's not _trying_ to be a pest. She's just trying to, you know, live (although she has wonder every now and again, is it worth it?). After all, there's nothing worse than knowing your very existence makes people hate you, instantly, before they even know your favorite color or your birthday or even your _name _(it's Keira, by the way, she was named after her grandmother). Yes, she realizes it's a cruel world, but that doesn't mean her heart doesn't break a little every time someone shoots her a disgusted look and turns their back to her.

Can you blame them, though? Who wants to hang around a creature so vile, so hideous? Her kind is infamous for nasty tempers and a stench strong enough to make you choke back a gag. Wouldn't you treat her like the plague, too? Maybe not now, because you're hearing her story and so you pity her. But it's easy for you, because this is just a story written down on a scrap of paper and you never actually had to _listen_. You never sat down and physically gave her an audience, because then your eyes would have watered from the foul odor and you would have been on the verge of vomiting before she even opened her mouth to speak.

There's nothing you can do about it, of course. By the time you're reading this she is probably long gone, and no one misses her because everyone secretly wanted her gone from the start.

But let's get back to her story, because this is not about you and this is not about me. It's about Keira and the life she wants, but never expects to get.

You see, she grew up in a small family. Mother, father, brother, and her; the daughter. Male Skuntank do not stick around long, in case you were wondering. They care for their mate while she is pregnant, but once those kits are born, they hightail it and leave her all alone.

And so, it was Keira, her mother, and her brother- alone in the world. This was okay with her, because she loved her family, but she often became bored with her life of doing nothing but foraging for food and sleeping.  
>Then one day, adventure showed up on her doorstep.<p>

And things would never be the same.

* * *

><p>It was a foggy spring morning, the kind where it's so silent you can hear your own heartbeat pounding away in your chest. The only other sound was the distant rustling of Pokemon beginning to stir, as the sun slowly made its way into the sky.<p>

She heard the footsteps long before her brother did. Her ears flicked forward curiously, and her whiskers twitched slightly as she listened. Judging by the way whatever it was crashed through the forest, it wasn't a native. Something was up, and she wanted to know what.

"Demitri, get up," she hissed, careful not to wake their mother. She tended to be particularly grumpy in the morning, and certainly wouldn't be thrilled that her kits were wandering off.

He stirred, grumbling irritably at his eager sister. He was the lazy one, she was the adventurer. That's the way it had always been, and he had a gut feeling she was up to no good.

"I'm serious, Dem, there's something _out there_," she informed him urgently, her eyes never leaving the fog-shrouded trees before them. The footsteps were getting closer; now she could tell it wasn't one, but _two_creatures approaching.

"Keira, if you're that scared, wake up Mama," he half-growled, wrapping his bushy tail around his head to block out her voice. "She can scare 'em off."

"I'm not scared, stupid," she replied in a huff, as she rose to her paws and shook her fur, "I want to _investigate_. You can stay here like a coward or you can come along, but either way, I'm going to check it out."

Calling him a coward was her secret weapon, because that made it a challenge and Stunky kits are notoriously competitive. Her brother rose to his feet grudgingly, and together they snuck away from their slumbering mother. They ventured farther and farther away, losing themselves in the thick mist that cloaked the trees. Suddenly, they heard a twig snap to their left, alarmingly close to where they were standing.

"What the hell... do you smell that, Vinny?"

Demetri had stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of the voice, his fur standing on end. He shot his sister a wide-eyed look (holy shit, what have you gotten us into _this_time?), his legs trembling from fear. Just up the path, headed toward them, were two unfamiliar Pokémon.

The one who had spoken was a lithe feline with cream-colored fur, and a blood red jewel on her forehead. Her head was bowed and the gem twinkled in the dappled light as she sniffed the ground. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as the stench assaulted her nose, and she flicked her tail in agitation.

Her companion neglected to answer her, because he was too busy trying to untangle himself from the thick underbrush. When that proved unsuccessful, he hacked at the foliage with his razor-sharp claws, cursing the world and flailing about angrily. He was a sloth-like creature, with red and white fur and savage eyes.

Keira had never seen Pokémon so powerful, other than her own mother and a few other Skuntank who inhabited the surrounding area. Nonetheless, she was courageous. Not to mention very naïve.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in our territory?" she snapped, stepping from the shadows to make her presence known.

Demetri whimpered plaintively behind her. He wasn't brave. He was smart. And he knew they didn't stand a chance.

The Persian didn't seem at all fazed. In fact, she seemed somewhat amused as she watched the fierce young Stunky who was bristled and ready to fight. She sat down and curled her luxurious tail around her, prim and proper. "Oh, so _that's_why it smells dreadful- this is Skuntank territory, am I correct? We are an exploration team, little one, and now that our mission is complete we need to get out of here. So if you would kindly step aside-"

"We'll be on our merry fuckin' way," finished the Vigoroth gruffly, sending an irritated glare at Keira. "C'mon, Sasha, this is no time for formalities, we're running out of food. If they won't move we'll have to make 'em."

"Do your worst," spat Keira, her tiny claws glowing as she prepared a Fury Swipes attack.

The battle lasted all of two seconds.

The Persian merely hissed at Demetri, which sent him scampering away to the safety of the den. One tiny scratch from the Vigoroth was all it took to send Keira toppling to the ground, too stunned to move.

"Sorry kiddo," purred the one named Sasha, as she strolled past. The Vigoroth only grunted as he side-stepped her with purposeful strides, his knuckles dragging the ground.

"Wait!" Keira cried, struggling to her feet. Something stirred inside her. She wanted to know more about these two- they were intriguing.

The Persian turned back, watching her with a mixture of disgust and pity. "Look, child, we have important matters to tend to. We are running low on food, and if we don't find some soon-"

"I know where there's food," blurted Keira, desperate for adventure. "I can take you to it!"

"There is no way we're taking you with us," spat Vinny, his arms folded firmly across his chest. "Look at 'er, Sasha, she's weak! If we recruit her and she faints, then we're fucked. Plus, she smells like rotten eggs. No. Just no." He shook his head for emphasis, and then stomped away.

"Did I mention I know the way out of here?" Keira added with pleading eyes. It was her last-ditch effort. This may be her only opportunity for adventure, and she wasn't about to let it pass her by.

The sloth-like Pokemon halted in his tracks, clenching and un-clenching his fists as he contemplated her offer. After a moment he sighed, rolled back his shoulders, and turned to face the spunky kit. "You're a temporary recruit, understand? You help us find food, then you show us how to get out of this Arceus-forsaken forest. Afterwards, we leave and you do not follow us. If we come across any feral Pokémon along the way, you get behind Sasha and I, and don't get yourself knocked out. That's the last fucking thing we need. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

* * *

><p>She had them out of that forest before sundown. And she could have had them out sooner, but she <em>might <em>have taken them in circles a few times to delay their departure. Keira had enjoyed their company too much, and watching them battle wild Pokémon was exhilarating.

As she stepped out of the forest, she blinked rapidly to acclimate her eyes to the harsh sunlight. She had never been out of the depths of the forest before. Her mama had forbidden her to leave, telling her if she did, she would never be able to find her way back home. Keira had always thought she was bluffing, because she knew the path home like the back of her forepaw. She always figured her mother just told her that to keep her from wandering off.

Oh, how wrong she was.

"Thanks kid," the Vigoroth grunted, before nodding at her in approval.

"Yes," purred Sasha softly. "You were very helpful. Thank you for your assistance. If there's any way we can repay you..."

Keira took a deep breath; this was her chance. Carpe diem, and all that jazz.

"Do... do you think I could come with you? I know I was originally a temporary recruit," she added hastily, after Vinny let out an exasperated sigh, "but I want to stay with you guys! I want to get stronger, and I want to see the world. Please?"

The two normal-types exchanged a knowing glance, the kind that is often shared between partners who have been together for a very long time.

"Little one," Sasha began, her voice gentle and motherly. "We are very busy Pokémon, and our services are in high demand. We simply do not have time to mentor you. I am sorry."

Keira sat on her haunches, her eyes filling with tears that she wouldn't let fall. She had to show them she was tough, and maybe they would change their minds. Right?

Seeing how distraught the young Stunky was, Sasha took pity on her.

"Perhaps this will express our gratefulness," she murmured, before dropping a sky blue bow at Keira's feet. "It might look like an ordinary accessory, but while you are wearing it, your power is amplified. If you work hard and become stronger, maybe someday you can form an exploration team of your own."

Keira had never seen anything like it. She prodded it with a tiny claw, and then looked to the Persian for further instruction. The feline held her breath, and quickly clipped the bow behind the Stunky's left ear, all the while suppressing the urge to gag at the putrid smell.

"There," she managed to choke out, forcing a convincing grin as she backed away. "You look fabulous."

"And now that _that's_ settled," began Vinny, his eyes narrowed with impatience. "Sasha. We're leaving. _Now_."

The Classy Cat Pokémon gave her an apologetic look, and then gracefully moved to her partner's side. Together they left, without so much as a backwards glance.

Keira patted the new bow behind her ear gently as she watched them go, and wondered if it really _would_make her stronger. Whether it did or not, she had to show Demetri. He would be so totally jealous.

So she ignored the fact she felt a little abandoned, and walked back into the forest. She glanced around apprehensively the moment she came beneath the thick canopy of trees. Something was different. The path curved to the left now, instead of the right. And she couldn't catch the scent of Skuntank territory.

Frantically she whirled around, searching for some sort of familiar landmark she would never find.

"First time inside the forest, eh?"

Disoriented, Keira nearly jumped at the sound of the amused, nasally voice. She looked all around, but could not find the source. That is, until she looked up.

Dangling from a tree was a green Pokémon that resembled a chrysalis. It hung from a thin silver thread, and swayed back and forth slightly in the soft breeze. Two small eyes stared at her, only half open, which gave him a lethargic expression.

"I live in this forest," she informed him snappishly, keeping a safe distance. She had never seen a Metapod before. The only Pokémon she had ever seen before that day were members of her own species, so she was wary of him.

"But you left, did you not?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing a bit at her tone.

She nodded. "Yeah, but only for a second! I came right back in, but now everything looks... different."

"Of course it does," the Metapod drawled. "This is a mystery dungeon, after all. They are constantly changing. Every time you enter one, it will be different. No one really knows how they work, but that's the way it is. That's the way it's always been."

"Then... then how am I supposed to find my family?" she whimpered, suddenly feeling very small and alone in the world.

"You don't," he sighed. "You can look for years, but the odds of you stumbling across them is very slim. Didn't your mother tell you about mystery dungeons and the consequences of-"

He stopped mid-sentence, because she was no longer there. With tear-filled eyes, she sprinted away from the Metapod, bewildered and upset.

She searched for her family for three days, only stopping to eat and sleep. It was at the end of the third day that she gave up hope of ever seeing them again.

The forest Pokémon avoided her and the foul smell that followed her, because even though Stunky don't smell as bad as their evolved form, they also don't exactly smell like a patch of daisies. It was in solitude that she made a decision, taking Sasha's words of encouragement into consideration.

She would become stronger. She would battle, grow, and eventually earn respect among powerful Pokémon everywhere. And the next time an exploration team passed through, they would practically _beg_to have her accompany them (or at least, that's what she told herself).

With relentless training over the course of several months, it wasn't long before she evolved into a Skuntank. But it was all for nothing. No exploration teams passed through, and she didn't know where to go to start one herself. She had become a strong, tough, cunning Pokémon- but it didn't matter. Her talents went to waste, because no one would come close enough to her to see the potential hidden behind those amber eyes.

In her position (nowhere to call home, no one to call a friend), most would have become depressed. Or maybe they would have developed a hatred for the world and all of its inhabitants.

But not Keira.

No, she wasn't the kind to dwell on things that were outside of her control. She was proud to be a Skuntank, and held her head high no matter what. Adopting a nomadic lifestyle, she began to wander. She still does, to this very day.

She never stays in one place for too long- always just passing through, always in motion, always searching for something she never really expects to find.

A home, a friend, a family, a purpose.

Maybe she'll never find what she seeks. Maybe she will someday, should fate look upon her with favor.

But for now, she is no more than a gypsy- forever searching for a place to belong.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This was my submission to a contest held by my friend Not So Gallant Gallade for his story PMD: Radiant Darkness. Somehow I managed to snag first place, so Keira will be appearing in his story as the third member of their team... sometime in the future. xD Anyway, point is, he's a good writer, and the story is shaping up to be fantastic. So check it out. :) You can find a link to his profile on my profile page... he's Will. :P**

**Also, any reviews here would absolutely make my day. ;)**

**Much love,**

**~Firebird**


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